A Saber's Life
by Money100
Summary: Summary's inside. Adopted from AquilaTempestas. Not stollen.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, I know this story falls under my name. But after AquilaTempastes decided that she didn't want to continue it, she wanted me to adopt it for her. Sto that's what I'm doing. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Ice Age do not belong to me unfortunately

**Title**

A Sabre's Life

**Summary**

Diego is haunted by troubling dreams ever since making the decision to leave the herd to raise his cubs with Shira. Diego begins to fear for the lives of his first cubs as the dreams begin to worsen.

**.**

**Prologue: Troubling Dreams**

The sounds of snarling predators caught Diego's attention. He lowered his head, sniffed the ground and detected the scent of sabre. He couldn't believe Max had run off! "Little scoundrel," Diego muttered, following the scent. But he wasn't upset – he was scared. Max was alone in a big world. Anything could happen to a tiny cub. He sniffed the ground again, frowning. Sabres. In this territory? How odd.

He ventured further into the forest, continuing to follow the scent. He now detected three sabres... three adult male sabres in fact. And the smell was familiar... litter brothers. That meant Oscar and his cronies were around scouting for some unknown reason. Were they searching for Shira? Breeding season hadn't ended yet. A worrying thought occurred to him. What if Max had encountered them? Diego hadn't exactly departed on good terms with them.

Spurred on my concern, Diego charged forward gaining speed with each sprint. The closer he got to his destination, the more worried he felt. Was Max still alive? "Max!" Diego called out. No response. He tried emitting a roar, but still his sensitive hearing could not detect Max's shrill cries. He continued to run forward until he reached a clearing. Blood filled his nostrils. "Max!" he shouted.

That's when he found what he was looking for.

There on the snow-covered grass lay the body of a young male sabre drenched in blood. He wanted to cry, to roar with fury, but no sound would escape his throat. A forbidden tear rolled down his cheek, as he stood above the cub. His stomach tightened, his blood froze. He dropped to his belly beside the dead cub. The cub lay in a pool of blood, with eyes wide open. Bite marks lined his neck and a deep gash trailed from his left hind leg to the left foreleg. His death had been a quick one. Quick, painful and bloody. "...No... this isn't real..."

"Welcome to the real world, Diego." The sabre turned around sharply, eyes burning with malice. Another male sabre glanced at him smirking. He was big; equal in size with Diego, but thicker around the body. "I'm sorry... was that pathetic thing yours?" The smirk widened, revealing bloodied teeth. Two other sabre-toothed cats joined his side; one with a robust figure and another with a fragile build.

"Oscar," Diego said calmly.

"You remember."

Anger slowly started to rise. "What are you doing here?"

The smirk on Oscar's face faded, replaced by a scowl. "Searching for you!" he growled. "We've been searching for you for three damned years and you didn't have the heart to find us! We're litter brothers are we not or have you forgotten what it means to be a family?" he added, his voice deepening. He took a step forward, his eyes trained on Diego as if he were stalking prey. "I haven't forgotten... Lenny, Zeke. Find his mate. I'll handle Diego."

Diego held his ground, planting his paws firmly into the snow. He wasn't going to leave his dead cub alone to be eaten by marauding scavengers. "We might share the same blood, but we're not family," he snarled in response, lowering his body to the ground in preparation to charge...

"NO!" Diego roared, jolting up from his sleep.

Shira jumped up, alarmed. "What's happening? Are we under attack?" It took several moments until Diego realized he was in the cave with his mate, Shira sleeping beside him. Four cubs slept in between the two, cuddling up to their mother. "Did you have that dream again?" she asked, nuzzling her mate.

Diego welcomed her affectionately. "It's that same dream over and over again. Ever since we left the herd... I've been haunted by these dreams..." He laid down his head.

"We're not going to be away from the herd for too long, another few months and the cubs will be strong enough to travel long distances," Shira replied, in between licks.

"I can't force these dreams aside. I'm worried they'll become a reality," he confessed.

Shira shook her head. "No one will ever come in between our family. I won't let them. After everything we've been through, no one will ruin our happiness." One of the cubs, a sole male, purred softly. "I'm surprised your roar didn't awaken the cubs," Shira remarked.

He nodded. "The little scoundrel can sleep through anything," he said with a soft chuckle.

Shira smiled. "That's good, you're smiling again. Don't let these dreams trouble you; they're dreams after all and they can't hurt you." She licked him again on the nose. "Get some sleep we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Tomorrow was the day the cubs finally had the chance to leave the cave after remaining inside for a month. It was going to be a difficult task; although they were in a safe territory, cubs could always find a way to get themselves into trouble. Getting stung by strange coloured bugs, getting lost in the long grass and getting into vicious play fights. When winter came around, their troubles would increase. The cubs were so small and weak they would sink in the snow or get stuck on ice. "Yeah, you're right. You're always rights," Diego commented, closing his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One: Danger**

Today was the big day. Shira turned around and looked at her cubs. They were sitting down on their haunches watching her with expectant eyes. "We're going to take you on a trip around our territory," Shira said.

Diego nodded. "You need to stick close; we can't afford to have any of you breaking ranks and running off. It's a big world out there." And dangerous as well, but Diego didn't say it out aloud. No point in scaring the cubs on their first day out. Besides, no danger would come anyway; not while two first time parents were on guard.

Diego led at the front while Shira remained at the rear. She pushed the cubs forward gently encouraging them to move forward. The sole male cub trotted to the front while the three females walked side by side. "When do we get to hunt?" Max asked, jumping into his father's footprints as they walked.

"You're not able to hunt yet until another month!" Diego replied, glancing behind.

Max pouted. "I wanna hunt!"

"You wouldn't even intimidate a bug at your age," Diego replied, grinning.

The cub's ears flattened against his head. "Alright, alright. I'll wait until I'm older." His sisters laughed. He glared at them silencing their laugher.

"No fighting otherwise we're heading back to the cave," Shira snapped, glaring at the three sisters. "Apologize to your brother."

"Sorry Max," the girls chorused.

"Where are we going first?" Max asked.

"To the water hole," Diego replied.

.

Fortunately, the water hole wasn't too far away. Max and his sisters were struggling to walk through the deep snow. Shira and Diego often had to pull the cubs out during their journey. Traipsing through the snow had drained the cubs of energy – each step seemed more difficult than the last. "Here we are, there's the water hole. The snow is a little thinner over there," Diego said.

And he was right. The snow didn't appear to be as deep around the water hole. With renewed energy, the cubs sprinted towards the water hole eager to enjoy their first adventure. Max bounded into the water followed by the three girls. Shira remained on the edge watching while Diego joined the cubs. The water was shallow – the cubs were in no danger of drowning.

Diego splashed the cubs and they attempted to tackle him in return. Shira joined the rest of her family in the water, taking the time to wash her fur. Diego splashed around in the water chasing the cubs in circles while Shira simply laughed at his childish antics. All was going well until Max decided to sneak off.

With the rest of his family busying themselves at water hole, Max snuck away. He sprinted through the snow as fast as his legs would carry him, leaving patchy footprints behind. He moved further away from his family until they were no longer visible. Now he was completely alone. Not that he was concerned – his parents were way too overprotective anyway and his sisters were boring. He loved his family and all, but it was time to move on from the water hole.

The girls wanted to stay close to the den; he wanted to venture out and explore the outside world. Listening to Diego's hunting trip stories each afternoon made him desperate to explore. Being stuck in a stuffy den all day was uneventful. He slowed down to a walk; best to conserve his energy for the rest of his trip. But where to first? He turned to the right. It was nothing but snow. He turned to the left. This was the forest boundary his father had often talked about. Apparently there was an abundance of deer. He had seen dead deer before, but had never seen one alive.

It didn't take him long to reach the boundary. He stopped and arched his neck backwards, taking in his surroundings. Pine trees towered over him all clumped together, blocking the sun's light. Snow covered grass blades spread for miles and Max jumped into the blades, enjoying how it tickled his body.

But... what was that?

He held his nose high in the air, his little ears standing erect. An unknown scent filled his nostrils. It certainly wasn't a sabre – they wouldn't be living in this area if there were others. It was something else. Perhaps it was a deer? Adrenaline rushing through him. He wandered deeper into the forest, a soft grin on its pudgy face. He roared – well, tried to, but it came out as a small squeak instead. That wasn't going to intimidate anyone. Boredom overcame him quickly and he threw himself at the grass again, unaware he was being watched.

.

Two juvenile wolves sat upon a large stone watching the cub play with the grass. Both were male wolves with thick dark grey fur to provide them decent camouflage with the snow. "Look at that – a lone sabre cub," said the elder of the two males.

The other male stepped forward jaws agape, a glob of saliva dripping down the side of his mouth. "Can we eat him?"

"Sabres aren't part of our diet, Rufus! Besides, we should report back to our leader and inform him about this." The wolf turned around ready to head back to home base.

"_He _doesn't need to know about this. Come on, Rex. We need to have _some _fun. Can't let our leader have all the joy."

His friend's eyes narrowed. "That's my father you are talking about."

"And your father is a bore. If I have to listen to another story about our ancestry and destiny, I swear I will have to kill him."

"You would lose. He is the toughest alpha our pack has ever had." The wolf turned back around to face his friend. "You can stay and look at the pathetic cub if you wish, but I'm heading back home." He jumped off the rock.

Rufus nodded. "Alright... I'll see you back at the den." His gaze remained fixed on the cub.

"Don't do anything you'll regret." Rex trotted back towards his home, his tail wagging behind him. Soon he was no longer visible. Rufus leapt down from the rock and walked towards the oblivious sabre. He flexed his jaw. "One dead cub coming right up."

.

Unaware that he was being watched, Max continued to tackle and flatten the grass to his heart's content. His endurance soon ran out of steam and he flopped down panting. Sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of leaves being crunched. He jerked upwards, his ears erect.

Walking towards him was a strange four legged grey furred creature with a long tail. Having never left the cave before, Max wasn't sure what the animal was, but looking at the unfriendly gaze in the animal's yellow eyes he knew it couldn't be trusted. He turned to run.

The creature bounded into a sprint. It moved incredibly fast – it was almost a blur. Max soon found himself pinned down onto the floor, a heavy paw pressed on his back. "Trying to run from me? Did you really think you could outrun a wolf?" The wolf lowered its head and ran its tongue across Max's face.

"Let me go! I didn't do anything to you!" Max spat, trying to be brave like his father would.

"Sabres are our enemy. Only one of us can be at the top, kid."

Max squirmed, desperate to free himself but the wolf was far too strong. "If my dad finds you you're going to be hurt real bad!"

The wolf laughed, revealing dagger like teeth. "An adult sabre might be stronger than a lone wolf... but I'm not alone, kid. I've got a pack – and they will tear your daddy apart." He sneered, then ran a claw across the back of the sabre's neck. "They'll sink their teeth into his neck. He'll be powerless to attack a pack of twenty wolves." He withdrew his paw, then rolled the cub into his back. "You can go..." Max crawled away. "Not so fast there, kid. I haven't finished speaking. You can go... if you can." The wolf pressed him down again, ignoring the cries for help from him.

"Please..."

"Let this be a warning sign. Get out of our territory." The wolf opened his jaws then clamped them around the cub's hind legs. Max screamed; his body convulsed. Blood streamed out of his leg as the wolf sunk his teeth in deeper. Soon, Max's world turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two: Crippled**

Diego paced back and forth leaving deep footprints in the snow. Three cubs. There should be a fourth cub, but Max wasn't there. He hadn't drowned in the water, otherwise they would've have detected his body. "Where is he?" Diego growled. The three female cubs cowered together, afraid.

"He... went exploring," one of the girls said, lifting her gaze slightly.

Diego turned on the three sisters baring his teeth. "And you didn't think to tell your parents?! He could be in danger!" The images of Max's death came back to him. He was afraid the cub was injured or dead. Dread made him angry. Anger at Max for leaving without saying anything and anger at the sisters for not dobbing him in. But mostly he was angry at himself. He had failed as a parent. He should've been keeping an eye on all the cubs.

Shira seemed to sense his despair because she stood at his side and nuzzled him. "I'm sure Max will be fine."

He looked at her blankly. "He's just left the den, Shira. Of course he's not fine," he snapped, continuing to walk back and forth.

The three sisters snuggled up against Shira and hid their faces behind their paws. Diego heard sobbing; were the girls scared of losing their brother or at the monster Diego was becoming? He softened his stare and apologized to Shira. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried that's all," he confessed.

"It's alright, dear. I'm worried too, but we have to trust he will be fine."

"I'm going to look for him."

Shira nodded. "I'll stay here with the girls. I'll see you back at the den. Please find Max." She turned around and led the remaining cubs back to the den, gently whispering soothing words to calm their fears. Diego immediately headed towards the woods. If Max had gone exploring he would visit the forest.

.

Max whimpered; blood was pouring out of his wound it almost looked like a waterfall. He tried to move his injured leg, but the pain had paralysed it. He rested his head on his paws, staring at the wound hoping the blood would cease to leak. "I don't want to die..." he mumbled, tears falling down his cheeks.

If he screamed for help would anyone come? Or would his pathetic attempts for assistance come in the form of a wolf? Tears continued to slip down his face. This was it. He was going to die. Not a day out of the cave and he had already wasted his life. His parents were going to be so mad... if they ever found him that is. "Mum... dad..." he whimpered.

Once again, he tried to stand on his four legs and once again he failed to move. The pain. It was just too much for his little body to handle. Giving up was the only option. "No... must... get up..." he said, tightening his jaw and forcing his legs to stand. Through sheer force of will, Max managed to get up on shaky legs.

"Is that a cub down there?"

"Yeah, I think it is."

"Looks like it's going to die soon. Should we hang around here and wait?"

"Uh-huh. Fresh meat! We'll be the first in line."

Max's keen ears picked up the conversation of a couple of vultures circling low above the trees. Vultures knew when prey was going to die. They'd wait for hours until the prey had finally stopping breathing before gorging themselves on fresh flesh. He didn't want to be their dinner. "Come on, Max... just a little further..."

The truth was he wasn't sure how far away he was from home. He could be miles away. Hope was beginning to fade. He lay his belly down on the snow-covered ground and curled into a ball. It wasn't long before sleep overtook him numbing his senses temporarily. At least he could escape the pain for awhile. "Max!" Keen ears perked. Although his eyes were closed, his ears were always fully alert.

"Dad?" Max said.

Was this a dream?

Had he died already and gone to animal paradise?

"MAX!" a growl again, this time far more urgent. Something came rushing towards him, and Max knew it was another sabre. Diego.

"Dad!" Max cried, lifting his head from his paws.

Some hope at last.

.

Diego had searched the forest for about an hour looking for his only son. He searched behind shrubs, bushes and even rocks but the young sabre wasn't there. He had almost given up all hope when his nose picked up the scent of blood. Fresh blood. Fear motivated him. He ran faster than he had ever run before. And that's when he noticed it. His fears were confirmed. Max lay on the ground covered in blood.

"MAX!"

He ran towards the cub, hoping he was still alive. If he was dead... he didn't think he'd be able to cope. How would Shira react? And what about the sisters? It was his duty to protect them and he had failed! "Max, talk to me," Diego said, dropping down beside the wounded cub.

Fortunately, Max was still breathing. But for how much longer? His eyes turned to the wound on his leg. Sharp teeth belonging to a strong jaw had punctured two holes in the cub's leg. Not deep enough to kill him, but enough to cripple the cub for life. "Dad?" Max replied meekly, glancing up at his father.

A wave of relief rushed through Diego. He licked Max's face thankful he was still alive. "We were worried we lost you..." Again, his eyes turned to the wound.

"There goes our lunch," a vulture muttered.

Diego arched his neck back and looked at the bird. He roared prompting the bird to fly away. Max whimpered again. "Don't move, I'll pick you up. We have to get you back to the den." Before Max could protest, Diego picked up the cub with his jaws then made his way back home.

.

Shira was relieved to see Diego stroll up to the den with Max in his jaws, but relief quickly turned into tears upon seeing the state the cub was in. "Oh my... Max!" Sabres didn't often shed tears, but any parenting sabre worried about the safety of their cubs would. She licked the wound ignoring Max's cries. Once the cub had been cleaned up, Shira deposited Max with the other cubs in the safety of the den while she talked to Diego outside. "What happened to him?"

"Judging by that wound I would say he was attacked by another predator. Not a sabre though, some other creature," Diego replied sadly, ears flat against his head. "He'll be a cripple for the rest of his life."

Shira sniffed. "At least he's alive." She glanced over at the den.

Diego nuzzled his mate. "I'm going to find his attacker and rip him to shreds, this I swear," he said, pulling back. Max's life was ruined. He would never be able to hunt. He'd never be able to sprint. He'd never function the way a sabre should. Would the cub make it to adulthood? His chances were slim. But Diego wasn't going to share the bad news with his mate. Not yet.

She looked at him, concerned. "No. I'm not going to lose you."

"But-"

She shook her head. "We need to look after Max. Chasing down his attacker isn't going to improve his health. You staying with your family will give him the best chance at a better life."

There was no arguing with her. Diego nodded, disappointed. "You have my word." Would danger come to them?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three: Tough Life**

Everyday tasks were a living nightmare for the crippled cub – every activity he involved himself in placed him in an unpleasant position. When he slept, his leg ached. When he ate, his leg hurt. When he walked, his leg throbbed. Every movement introduced him to a new world of pain. But it wasn't just the physical side of it – the mental anguish was overbearing.

During the middle part of the day, his three sisters would play a game of chase. Diego would sometimes catch a severely injured fawn for the cubs to practice their hunting skills on. Although they were still a few weeks away from eating meat, Diego wanted to ensure his cubs were tough. They were in a danger zone now and they had to be well prepared for anything.

Max sat down on the snow, resting his head on his fore paws. The familiar deep throbbing pain in his leg dominated his thoughts making it hard to concentrate on other activities. He could sleep – but sleep only brought nightmares of those horrible teeth. At times he would wake up in the night due to pain – or because of a nightmare.

His parents were worried. He could tell just by the way they looked at him. With big pitiful eyes. He hated being looked at like that – sabres were tough. Sabres were strong. Sabres were not weak. But he wasn't a normal sabre. He was handicapped. A tear rolled down the side of his right cheek, landing on his paw.

This was his life.

Useless.

What was the point in existing as a handicapped sabre? It was better to be dead than a burden to the rest of his family. His eyes remained on his sisters' game of chase the injured fawn, then briefly flickered over to his watchful concerned parents standing nearby. They were watching him, probably wondering what to do with him next.

His eyes began to water. "No..." he said weakly, "I will not show any form of weakness before my parents. I'm a _sabre." _A crippled one, but he still had the instinct and spirit of a sabre. He forced himself to step forward. With cautious steps he advanced closer to his parents, determined not to falter.

"Max! Don't move; you'll injure yourself!" Shira yelped.

Max ignored her. He managed to take a few more steps when he felt strong jaws gently clamp around his neck. Wriggling free wasn't an option; every time his mother gripped him in this manner he fell into a temporary state of paralysis. Eventually, he felt his feet come into contact with the surface again.

"Don't try that again, Max," Diego scolded.

"You'll only bring more harm to yourself," Shira added.

Max's ears lay back against his head. He dropped his belly on the cold snow and meekly looked up into the eyes of the adult sabres. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. Shira faintly smiled, then licked his body and all was quickly forgiven.

.

While Shira tended to Max's needs, Diego decided to take the opportunity to go exploring. Of course, he didn't tell Shira that – he simply told her he was hungry and that he was going to hunt down another meal, but the reality was, he searching for the enemy. He hated lying to her – she deserved more than that, but she would not let him go exploring on his own if he told her the truth. So here he was exploring the forest alone.

It was getting darker now. The sun was still visible, but only barely. The source of light had almost disappeared behind the horizon completely. It wasn't a problem for Diego though – he had solid vision during the day, but his night vision was vastly superior. Did Max's attackers have good night vision as well? A brief image of the teeth marks on Max's leg appeared in his head.

Definitely not the puncture wound of a sabre, but certainly they belonged to another mammal predator. Wolf. They were the only other existing carnivorous mammal on the island. He hadn't seen a wolf in years though – not since his days in Soto's pack – what were the wolves doing here? Surely they had a reason and Diego planned to find out the truth.

He lowered his nose to the snow, hoping to detect a strong enough scent to lead him the wolf den. His sharp sense of smell picked up the smell of wolf and he followed the trail. The further he went, the darker the forest seemed to get and the quiet it became. Only faint rays of light managed to shine down through the treetops. Diego treaded carefully now; this was unfamiliar territory. Who knew what else lurked within these woods?

He continued to explore, venturing even deeper into the forest. The scent grew stronger still and- "Well, well what do we have here?" asked a horse deep voice.

Diego froze; he turned around and came face to face with a large grey wolf.

.

The big grey furred wolf looked at him with those cool blue eyes, the emotion in them unreadable. His attention moved to the deep red scar running down the left side of face from bottom of his eye to the bottom of his jaw. The wolf seemed to be smirking at him. Diego didn't share his amusement. Instead, he lowered his body closer to the ground in preparation for a fight. "A lone sabre here in the woods at night? My, that is dangerous... even for a sabre."

Diego growled. "Why did you do it?"

The wolf frowned. "You'll have to be more specific."

"The sabre cub. You hurt him."

The wolf sighed. "Wolves own this area - sabre's do not. If sabres start invading our territory we have to fight. There's not enough food for all of us you know." Still, the wolf moved closer, his eyes never leaving Diego's face. "But I never touched any cub – perhaps you have mistaken me for another wolf?"

The wolf raised a fair point. There was no evidence of blood on his fur, but he could've washed himself clean of it. "We're not here to take over your territory. We'll be leaving after the cubs are old enough to eat meat."

"I don't trust sabres." The wolf drew closer, "You have one week to get out of _my _territory or the pack and I will kill you and your precious little _family," _he sneered. "You've been warned, sabre. Get out of my sight." He gnashed his teeth, prompting Diego to turn his back. Retreating now seemed cowardly, but he had a family to protect. He departed with a low growl, then headed back towards home.

.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. Sorry this took so long. I was thinking about what to put next. But I think I finally know what. Hope you guys like it.**

**Don't own Ice Age.**

Worry

As Diego walked home, he couldn't help but wonder how he would brake the news to Shira. First, he lied, then he has to tell her that they had to leave. How the hell was he gonna pull this one?

"Way to go, Diego."

He said to himself.

"What?"

Diego turned around in surprise. He was home? Already? Shira walked up to him and nuzzled him, but he pulled away. Shira looked at him in surprise and disappointment.

"Diego?"

Shira asked, wanting to make sure her mate was okay.

"Are you okay?"

She asked. Diego didn't say anything. He just walked into the den, where he found his four cubs sleeping. He lay down close to them.

"Shira, come here."

He said. Shira walked over to her mate.

"Yes?"

Diego patted the stop next to him and the cubs. Shira smiled and lay down beside him and the cubs. Diego put his four legs around his mate and cubs.

"I'll protect you."

He said before he went to sleep

...

_As Diego and his family slept, a pack of wolves walked up to the den, growling dangerously. _

_"It's been a week. You know what that means, right boys?"_

_The leader asked his pack mates. The wolves nodded and walked up to the den and barked loudly. Inside the den, Diego and Shira jerked awake. _

_"What the-"_

_"It's time kitties."_

_The leader said as the other wolves laughed evilly. _

_"Diego, what's he talking about?"_

_Shira asked. Diego gulped and stood. _

_"Shira, I want you to go farther back in the den with the cubs."_

_Diego said as calmly as he could. Shira was beginning to panic. _

_"Diego, what's going on?"_

_"Nothing Shira. I just need you to be safe."_

_He said as he woke up his three daughters and handed Max to his mate. But while Diego had his back turned to the wolves, they walked in the den. _

_"Diego!"_

_Shira shouted as she saw one of the wolves leap at him. Diego turned at the last second, and the two males began fighting. Shira held Max as she stood protectively over her daughters, who had begun to wake up. As the two males fought, three wolves walked into the den._

_"Diego!"_

_Shira shouted as the wolves walked up to her._

_"Well well well. What have we got here?"_

_One if the male wolves said as he circled around Shira and her cubs. _

_"She's pretty, and her cubs are cute, but we're going to have to kill them."_

_The other two wolves laughed. They all began circling around the mother and her cubs._

_"Mommy, I'm scared."_

_One of the female cubs said as she buried her face in her mother's fur. Shira knew she had to do something. So, with one big roar, she kept at the closest wolf. This was the biggest mistake. As she was fighting, she heard her cubs scream. She turned. Her blood froze. Her oldest cub lay dead in a pool of blood. _

_"Max..."_

_Shira whispered. She then heard the screams of her daughters. And sure enough, they were dead. She looked over at Diego. He was fighting with whatever strength he had. But we was growing weak. Shira wasn't paying attention, witch gave the wolf a chance to slice her neck. Diego turned when he heard his mate scream. But not only was his mate lying in a pool of blood, his cubs were too. He turned back to the wolf. The wolf pinned Diego to the ground._

_"Prepare to die kitty."_

_He said before clamping his jaws around Diego's throat..._

_..._

Diego woke up, panting. He found Shira looking at him in concern.

"What?"

He asked her. Shira sighed.

"You were moving around in you sleep. Who were you fighting?"

Diego looked around. He noticed that his cubs were gone.

"Where are-"

"I had to move them after you almost hit one of the girls. Diego, what's wrong?"

Diego turned his head away.

"Nothing's wrong."

Shira stood up and walked over to her mate.

"Diego, somethings wrong, and I know it."

Diego looked around, trying to find something else to say.

"?How's Max?"

He asked, changing the topic. Shira looked down at their son. He was crying in his sleep.

"I think he's depressed. I asked him, but he didn't say anything."

Shira said. Diego reached out and stroked his son's head.

"I wish we could do something about it."

Shira said with a sigh. Diego nodded. Maybe this would be a good time to tell Shira? With a heavy sigh, he faced Shira.

"Shira, we have to leave."

Shira's head immediately shot up to face Diego.

"What?"

She said, trying to stay calm. They had spent a lot of time finding the perfect place to raise cubs, and now Diego wanted to leave? Seeing this, Diego didn't want to tell him the truth. Maybe he can lie? Just a little?

"Uh, hunting season is coming in a few days. The humans will be hunting."

Shira studied her mate. She knew he was lying.

"I didn't smell any humans."

Diego gulped. This wasn't going to be easy.

"I did, when I was out on my hunt."

Shira chuckled.

"Funny, because I saw you going the other way, _away from_ the human settlements."

Shira pointed out. Diego realized his mistake.

"They were out?"

He said. Shira sighed.

"Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Diego sighed, happy that the conversation was over. He curled himself around Shira and his mate and went to sleep. But what the two didn't know, was that Max wasn't sleep. When he was sure his parents were sleep, he sat up. But he fell back down. His hindlegs just hurt too much. He hissed in pain, not wanting to wake up his family. But he had to try and stand. Maybe if he wasn't there, his parents wouldn't have to take care of someone who couldn't even walk? He stood up on shaky legs and limped to the entrance of the den.

"I'm sorry."

He said before he began limping out of the den. This was going to be hard and painful.

**Hey guys. Sorry this took so long. I was trying to figure what do put in this. And I hope you guys like it. Anyway, thanks for reading. R&amp;R**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I'm back with the sixth chapter. In the last chapter, Max was on his own, and his parents had no idea. What will happen to poor Max? I'm thinking about giving the sisters names. I'll have to think about it. Anyway, here's the sixth chapter.**

**Don't own Ice Age.**

Max Is Gone!

Max struggled through the snow. He would sink, and he couldn't pull himself up. Why didn't he just stay at the den? Why didn't he just stay with his sisters back at the watering hole? Maybe none of this would've happened, and he'd be back in the den, snuggled up to his father's side. But he couldn't turn back now. If he did, he was sure his mother would be waiting with some form of punishment, and his father would have a lecture all planned out, graphs, charts, and everything else. He just couldn't face that. Max knew he was in trouble for running away, but there was no other choice. He saw the way his parents looked at him, and he hated it. Max looked around. Nothing but snow. Lots, and lots of snow.

"Where am I?"

He asked himself. He cringed in pain as he lay on his bad leg.

"Mommy!"

He shouted out of desperation. He really needed his mother. She might've looked at him with pity, but she knew how to make him feel better. Max looked around.

"That's right. I ran away."

He said as he began to cry.

...

_Diego was sleeping nice and peacefully in the den. That's when a scream hit his ears. He shot up, knowing already who that was._

_"Max!"_

_He shouted. He looked around the den. But where Max should be, there was just an empty space._

_"Gods no."_

_He nudged Shira. She woke up right away._

_"What?"_

_"Max is gone."_

_Shira looked at the spot where Max should be. And sure enough, Max _was _gone._

_"Where could he be?"_

_She asked. But Diego had already gone out, looking for Max. He found the tiny cub lying in a pool of blood. He ran to his son and lay beside him. _

_"Max?"_

_Diego asked. Max lifted his head really slowly. _

_"Dad..."_

_He whispered. Diego sighed. Before he could lift his son to take him home, he heard a growling sound. He turned and froze. It wasn't the sabers that scared him, it was who they were with. The wolf pack._

_"Hey Diego. How're you?"_

_Diego stood over his son._

_"Leave my family alone!"_

_He shouted to the two packs. The two packs just growled and walked over to Diego._

_"Afraid we can't do that. You see, you have something we don't."_

_"And what's that?!"_

_"Happiness."_

_The wolf pack leader said simply._

_"That's not my fault."_

_Both packs chuckled. _

_"It is. You're not the one who deserves it. After what you did to Soto, you don't deserve to be happy."_

_And that was it. Both packs ran and began eating the father and son alive._

...

Diego woke up, gasping.

"Daddy?"

He heard a tiny voice say from behind him. He turned to see one if the female cubs staring at him.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Diego nodded.

"Yeah. Come here."

He said. The female cub walked over to her father. Diego pulled her into his forelegs.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Max is gone."

Diego shot up.

"What?"

Diego asked his daughter."

"Max is gone. I woke up, and I didn't see him."

Diego gulped. Was his dream coming true? Would he find Max lying in a pool of blood?

"Stay with your mother. I'll be back."

Diego said before leaving the den. Where could've Max gone? Diego knew he couldn't have gone far. Not with his legs all messed up the way they were.

"Max!"

Diego shouted. No response.

"Max!"

He tried again. But still nothing. Diego tried to pick up his son's scent, but it was too cold for such things. He saw faint dragging marks in the snow. Maybe that was Max? Diego followed the tracks, but it wasn't any good. The tracks stopped at a dead end.

"MAX!"

Diego shouted. Diego looked around. He thought he had heard something really faint. He ran in that direction.

"Max?!"

He asked again. That faint sound came back again. It _almost _sounded like his son. But Diego couldn't be too sure. He ran in the direction of the sound. But no matter how far Diego ran, it seemed as if the voice was getting farther and farther away. Diego hopelessly searched for the next few hours before heading home.

...

Max hated the cold. And now it was beginning to snow. Max sighed.

"I'm so stupid."

Max said to himself. He kept walking through the snow. As he did, he began to wonder. Would his family miss him? Probably not. They'd probably be celebrating and having a great time that he wasn't There. Why not? They deserve it. At least thay wouldn't have to take care of a messed up child. As he thought this, something in his mind kept telling him to go back. Mex knew he should, but there were two problems with that. One, he couldn't find his way back. And two, he was scared of what his parents would say.

"No! Have...to keep...going."

Max told himself as he dragged himself along.

"Gods why?!"

He shouted up to the sky. No answer.

...

Diego couldn't sleep. The rest of the night was spent trying to figure out where Max could be. When the sun rose, he woke Shira up.

"Shira."

Shira woke up.

"What?"

She asked.

"Max is gone."

Shira jumped up.

"What!"

She shouted.

"Max is gone!"

Diego shouted back. Shira began passing.

"Oh gods. What if he's dead? We have to find him."

She said as she ran out if the cave. Diego and the sisters followed after.

"Max!"

Shira shouted as she sniffed the ground for her son's scent. There was none. But something told Shira which direction Max was in. And with no warning, she ran in that direction. Diego gathered up the sisters and headed back in the den.

...

Shira ran. She ran faster then she had ever done before.

"Max!"

She called out. There was no reply. But she didn't need it to tell her she was getting closer. She eventually found him, lying in a pile of snow. She ran over to him and dug him out.

"Max."

She asked as she licked her son dry. Max looked up at his mother.

"Mommy, you found me."

He whispered. Shira nodded.

"Yup. Why did you try and run away?"

Max didn't say anything. Shira sighed and carried him back to the den. When she got there, she curled around Max. The sisters played while Diego talked to his mate.

"Where was he?"

He asked.

"A few miles to the east. I'm surprised he got that far."

Diego nodded.

"I'm just glad he found him."

He said. There was silent so begewwn the two as they looked down at Max.

"I'm worried about him."

Shira said suddenly. Diego looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he may be okay physically. But o don't think he's okay mentally. I think he thinks we don't see him as just some other saber. Maybe he feels useless."

Shira said. Diego thought about it.

"Maybe. We'll just have to talk to him when he wakes up."

Diego said as he stood up to go hunting.

"I'll be back."

He said. Shira nodded and Diego walked out of the cave. Shoe looked at Max. Maybe she was right about her son feeling useless? Why else would he run away? She'll just gave to wait until he woke up.

**Okay it's done. Sorry it's short. But I haven't slept in two days and I'm really tired now. So, here's your chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up. And I need some ideas. Please give them to me? Otherwise I can't update. Okay that's it. Hoped you enjoyed it and review please. Mary Christmas and a happy New Year?!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys. Sorry this chapter took almost a year. A lot or crap has been going on in my life so yeah. But anyway, here's the next chapter. And I'm very close to thinking up names for the sisters. Okay, here's your chapter. **

**Don't own Ice Age.**

Talk

Max woke up a few hours later. His sisters were playing while his father watched them.

"I see you're finally awake."

Shire said. Max turned around and nodded.

"How do you feel?"

She asked. Max didn't answer. Shire sighed and held him close. Diego looked over to his mate and son.

"Hey Max."

He said softly as he nuzzled his son. The sisters walked up to him.

"Hey son. Feeling better?"

Max didn't answer. Shire sighed a's told the sisters to go play while they talked with their brother. When the sisters left, the parents looked at their son angrily.

"Max, why did you run away in the middle of the night?"

Diego asked. Max looked doe at the ground.

"I'm sorry…"

He whispered. Shira sighed.

"Max, your father and I are really angry at you for running away like that. What were you thinking? We were so scared."

At this point, Max had begun to cry softly. Both parents sighed and Diego walked away. Shira looked down at her son.

"Max, tell me why you ran away. Please?"

Shira said in a soft voice. Max looked up at his mother as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"I did it so you guys would be happy!"

He said as more tears fell from his eyes. Shira scared at her son, waiting for more. After some silence, she lay done and held Max close.

"What do you mean?"

Max continued crying as he spoke.

"I did it to make you guys hhappy! You guys were sad…"

Max cried. Shira decided to not ask anymore questions for now. She just held her son close.

"Hush Max. It's okay."

Shira said. Max looked up at his mother.

"Are you still mad at me?"

He asked still crying.

"Yes Max. I'm still mad at you, but I'm just glad you're safe."

Shira said as she hugged the small cub. Diego walked up to her.

"Well?"

He asked softly. Shira turned to him.

"I don't think he's telling me everything. He said he ran away because we were sad. At what, I don't know."

Shira said. Diego nodded.

"I think there's something else going on."

Shira added. Diego nodded.

"How about I talk to him the next time he wakes up?"

Shira nodded.

"Okay. Where are the girls?"

She asked.

"Just outside. I'll bring them in."

Diego said as he got up and headed for the entrance of the den. The three girls walked in and ran up to their mother.

"Is Max okay?"

One of the sisters asked. Diego nodded.

"Yeah. Your brother's just fine."

He said as he looked down at the male cub. Diego wasn't sure if his son was okay. Something was bothering the poor cub, and Diego planned to find out what it was.

**Okay guys. That's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. I had other things to do, and I was trying to figure out what to put next. Hoped you're enjoying it. Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I took forever to get this chapter up. But here it is.**

**Don't own Ice Age.**

The Real Reason Reveled 

Diego sighed as he looked at his son. The little cub was sleep. It had been two days since Max has ran away, and Diego wanted to speak with his son. Shira had taken the girls out for hunting practice. Diego nudged his son awake. The small cub opened his eyes.

"Dad?"

Max asked. Diego nodded.

"It's time to get up."

Diego said gently. Max lifted his head.

"Where's Mom?"

He asked as he looked around.

"It's just me and you."

Diego said. He didn't want to make his son feel worse by telling him what the others were doing.

"Max, I wanna talk to you."

The cub nodded.

"About two days ago. Why did you run away?"

Max looked to the ground.

"Oh…"

He said sadly.

"I'm not mad at you. I just wanna know why. Your mother told me it was because we were sad. Is that true?"

Max nodded.

"Max, we're not sad."

"Yes you are. You always look sad when you look at me."

Max said as tears began to fall. Diego sighed.

"Max, we're not sad. In fact, we're impressed you made it as far as you did that night."

Diego said as he nuzzled his son.

"But you look at me like you're sad."

Diego sighed.

"Max, like I said before. We're not sad. We… just don't know what to do."

Diego said. There was more he couldn't tell the cub.

"What do you mean?"

Max asked innocently. Diego looked at his son. Now he has a hard choice to make. Does he tell Max the truth, or tell the boy a lie. Sighing, Diego made his choice.

"Max, you've probably figured out that you'll never be able to walk normally again, right?"

Max nodded sadly.

"And that you'll never be able to hunt."

Max nodded again.

"And your mother and I don't really know what to do. And-"

"That's the real reason I left. So you wouldn't have to deal with me anymore. I'm just a burden to you all."

Diego looked at Max.

"Max, you're not a burden. And your mother and I will do everything in our power to make sure you have a normal life."

Max looked up at Diego with a small smile on his face.

"Really?"

He asked. Diego nodded.

"Thanks Dad."

Diego nodded.

"And I don't want to hear you calling yourself a burden. Got that?"

Max nodded.

"Well I see you two had a good talk."

The two turned to see Shira and the girls walking into the den.

"Yup. We talked."

Diego said.

"That's good. Girls stay here. Your father and I are just gonna step out for a second."

Shira called to the girls, and Diego and her walked out to the front of the den.

"So did you find out why he ran?"

Diego nodded.

"Yeah. He said he felt like a burden because he would never be able to hunt or move like the others."

Shira nodded.

"Right. Guess we'll just have to show him that he's not a burden."

Diego nodded.

"Agreed. C'mon, you go inside, and ill do the hunting."

Diego said. Shira nodded, and the two savers headed back in the den.

**I'm super special sorry this came out almost a year later. But, at least it's out. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review. Peace. **


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